August 5 2017: "If Salman Khan was a phone, he’d be the Xiaomi Mi Max: large, beefed-up and a head-turner." -- that is what we said about the Xiaomi Mi Max, when the device was launched last year. Exactly, one year later, its bada bhai is here -- the Mi Max 2. With the Mi Max, Xiaomi created a whole new segment of smart phone users -- those who wanted something bigger than the average 5.5 inches device, but did not want to lug around a tablet, or phablet. At 6.44 inches, the Max went on to become quite a differentiator.

The MI Max 2, launched recently in India, comes with a 5300 mAh battery squeezed into a thin 7.6 mm frame. To do justice to the huge battery, the MAa 2 comes with a Type C USB port, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and something called parallel charging that charges the device faster without increasing the heat generated. With average use, we could eke out over two full days of usage... the longest battery life for any phone launched this year.

Compared to its sibling, the Max 2 has better design, with rounded edges, a rear fingerprint sensor, making it comfortable for single hand operation. It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 processor with a specialized 12 MP Sony IMX386 large pixel rear camera, along with a 5 MP front camera. The Max 2 also incorporates.

All in all, the device is a huge upgrade from its earlier version, with superior stereo sound that kicks in when you view video in landscape mode. The Max 2 is available only in black. No other colour would have done justice to the minimalistic, yet refined design. Available in a single 4GB + 64GB configuration, the Mi Max 2 is currently available online and offline at Rs. 16,999. - Vishnu Anand